AMHERST, Mass. -
UMass Lowell scored three first period goals en route to a 3-2 victory over the University of Massachusetts in Hockey East action tonight at the William D. Mullins Center.

Laurent Meunier opened the scoring just 18 seconds into the game when he beat Massachusetts senior goaltender Mike Johnson (Excelsior, Minn.) with a shot from the slot. Yorick Treille and Geoff Schomogyi assisted on the River Hawks goal. UMass Lowell extended its lead to 2-0 when Treille scored at the 9:27 mark of the first period. Meunier and Darryl Green assisted on the goal. The River Hawks made the score 3-0 when Steve Slonina netted a power-play goal at the 12:49 mark. Mark Concannon and Ed McGrane assisted on the goal.

Massachusetts got on the board late in the first period when senior Tim Turner (Saginaw, Mich.) scored a power-play goal from just outside the crease. Sophomore Thomas P?ck (Klagenfurt, Austria) and senior Martin Miljko (Etobicoke, Ontario) assisted on the goal.

The Minutemen outshot the River Hawks 13 to four in the second period, but neither team could manage to score a goal. Massachusetts cut the River Hawks lead to 3-2 early in the third period. Freshman Peter Trovato (North Attleboro, Mass.) scored on a rebound of a Kelly Sickavish (North Vancouver, British Columbia) shot from the point just 1:39 into the period. Junior Brad Nizwantowski (Peabody, Mass.) also assisted on the goal.

Johnson made 12 saves in net for Massachusetts, while Cam McCormick made 22 saves for UMass Lowell. The victory improves UMass Lowell to 7-2-0 overall and 5-2-0 in Hockey East, while the loss drops Massachusetts to 4-6-0 overall and 2-3-0 in Hockey East.

Massachusetts returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 20, in a non-conference game against Vermont at the Springfield Civic Center. Game time is 7:00 p.m.